


echoes in history

by nightofdean



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Linchpin Theory, more like 4+1, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-06
Updated: 2016-02-05
Packaged: 2018-05-18 11:19:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5926536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightofdean/pseuds/nightofdean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They figure it out one at a time until it's too late.</p>
            </blockquote>





	echoes in history

i.

Leonard Snart is intimate with the workings of his cold gun, so he’s surprised when he spots the familiar flair of engineering inside Rip Hunter’s time ship. Initially he’s not convinced as he replaces the panel, covering up the wiring and subsequently muffling the gentle hum of the ship. Leonard liked to think of himself as a cautious man, as someone who planned for contingencies and memorizing the ins and outs of the time master’s ship was one of them. Should the time ship be damaged and Rip Hunter wounded and unable to assist the rest of the _team_ (Legends, whatever they were called). Leonard did not plan on dying because their fearless leader was too busy protecting the secrets of the future.

Leonard is of course not without theories, he has an _idea_ of who engineered Rip Hunter’s time ship. He’s also fairly certain that the man he has in mind could do it, probably in an evening’s time too.

ii. 

The ship is beautifully built almost improbably so. The shape and aerodynamics should make it incredibly difficult to go past Mach 2 and enter the speed force. Stein spent his first night on the ship sleepless as he worked out equations, only to toss them out. Useless.

He felt like a child again, desperate to find the answer on his own, unwilling to ask his father for help. He knew though that to find the missing variable in this equation he would have to seek help.

“Your time ship runs on the speed force, correct?” Stein asks over lunch, Snart’s fork pauses over his spaghetti.

“No,” answered Rip as he carefully twisted spaghetti around his fork, and then continued. “Not exactly. It’s complicated.”

“So, the great time master doesn’t know how his own ship works,” Sneered Snart, abandoning his tray, “great.”

A silence hung in the air along with Snart’s icy words. Rip was still focused on his fork, the pasta no doubt a cold congealed mess by now. Stein had to know for sure. He wouldn’t be on this ship if he didn’t search for the truth in things.

“Is it true?”

“A friend of mine built the Waverider. I’m just the pilot.”

With his left hand Stein pulled his glasses off and tucked them in his shirt pocket, looking at Rip Hunter he noticed how shy the time master was. Rip had finally abandoned the cold pasta and was staring to the left of Stein’s head.

“Right, right a pilot with expert knowledge in temporal mechanics and quantum theory not just anyone can pilot this, well, _beauty_.” Stein spread his arms out indicating the whole ship and Rip’s lips thinned into a small smile.

The ship was _beautiful._

“You’d get along.”

“Your friend I assume.” Rip nodded minutely, obviously caught up in a memory. “I believe we will.”

Stein slept well that night. As he imagined solving the mysterious equations surrounding the time ship. He imagined who it was that gifted the ship to Rip and had earned his trust and obvious respect. Stein thought about the last clue, and why did it feel like a clue, that Rip told him.

“Professor Stein,” said Rip from behind Stein just as they were headed to their respective quarters. Stein was already running new equations in his head, if it wasn’t the speed force then –

“The speed force is only a part of the equation, you’re right. But it’s not the only one.”

As Stein slept he felt like this wasn’t his first meeting with the time master’s friend.

 

iii.

Kendra had a feeling, well it was more of a hunch, but she more or less jumped off a building for a hunch. As crazy as this theory or idea was.

The Professor told her about Rip’s friend and smiled like he knew something, and then continued to write down equations. A few of the papers had ‘for Cisco’ and ‘ask Cisco’ scribbled in the margins. Kendra grinned and patted the Professor on the shoulder as she left. Cisco would probably never see just how much his peers loved and respected him.

Kendra’s shoes clicked on the hard floors and she wondered ‘was it possible’, and as she thought more about it ‘yes, it is’. These people were connected, some way or another. Before her awakening, she never would have considered such a scenario but now anything seemed possible.

She passed Snart leaning on the curved walls, cold gun tucked safely under his parka. Snart nodded, almost in agreement as he patted the metal fixtures on the wall. Like saying, yes, it is possible. Yes, we owe him our lives.

Kendra smiled, teeth showing if anyone could do it, it’d be him.

iv

Sara and Ray didn’t figure it out until A.R.G.U.S. sent out a distress call for a general all hands on deck. Specifically, that the Circus was destroyed by two uncharted metas and now dozens of highly dangerous, highly powerful criminals were running lose.

The mission sounded simple, simple grab and bag. Except for the part where Rip didn’t want to go.

“What do you mean we _can’t_ go? There are criminals loose, we can’t just – “

“Canary, Sara.” Ray’s soft eyes pleaded, please calm down, breath. She breathed and thought, there had to be a reason.

“It’s not our fight, we can’t get involved.” Rip hasn’t even looked at Sara since the call came in, only staring at the digital windscreen.

Firestorm steps forward, “Is it about him?” _Will he be okay?_ Stein wants to ask. Except they both know he’ll never answer if they did.

Rip doesn’t answer, but the stiff set to his shoulders is enough. Snart snarls something and leaves, Mick, close behind. Kendra's fingers loosen on her battle mace, almost dropping it before Carter grips her hand and embraces her.

Sara takes in the scene and _sees,_ she remembers Oliver’s harsh lessons on always being prepared for anything, any sudden changes in environment.

Laurel had taught it differently, Laurel told her to listen to her environment and what it tells her. Then she’ll know.

Right now it’s telling her one of their own is in trouble and she’s powerless to stop it. She feels the force of it around her and Ray’s arms wrap around her shoulders. As much to comfort her as to comfort himself.


End file.
